Who's Who

A team of people with different jobs who have experience of working with children and young people who have mental health difficulties. The team would include:

Psychiatrists

Social Workers

Nurses

Occupational Therapists

Psychologists

Counsellors

Family Therapists

Arts Therapists

Primary Mental Health Worker

Outreach Workers

Counsellors

Use talking therapies to help people cope. See Youth Access for more information.

Family Doctor or General Practitioner (GP)

Contact your GP if you are worried about your health in any way. Your GP can help with

Talking through problems

Prescribing medication

Making referrals to specialists

Health Visitors

Specialised nurses who work in the community

Mental Health Act Commissioner (MHAC)

Visit and privately interview patients in hospital or mental health nursing homes. They have limited powers to investigate a complaint and appoint panels to give second opinions on treatment. See the Care Quality Commission for more information.

Nurses

Trained to care for and support young people and may also prescribe medicine.

Occupational Therapist

Help people who have been unwell or had problems to build the confidence and skills to lead a normal life.

Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS)

PALS help NHS users and their carers resolve issues with their care and treatment. Can refer to the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) if the problem is not solved.

Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS)

Free to use and not linked to the NHS. Deals with complaints about NHS treatment.

Paediatricians

Doctors who specialise in child health.

Psychiatrists

Specialise in mental health including in children and young people.

Psychologists

A group of professionals who help you understand the way you behave, feel and think about things. Includes Clinical Psychologists and Educational Psychologists.

Psychotherapists

More in-depth than counsellors, they aim to help you understand why you feel the way you do, what’s behind the way you act towards other people and why some things happen to you.

Researchers

Perform tests to make sure treatment is working.

Self-help and Support Groups

Groups where you meet up with people in a similar situation to you. They help you realise you are not alone and you can end up feeling better by being able to support someone else.

Social Workers

Some social workers help you if you are at risk of abuse or if you are in care while others are trained in mental health and can offer counselling. Psychiatric social workers are specialists who work with people during crises or over a long period of time.

Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCO)

Organises help in school for children with special educational needs such as learning difficulties.

Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists

Help develop skills in communication, physical ability and coordination. Other therapists include Art Therapists, Drama Therapists, Education Therapists and Music Therapists.

Youth Offending Workers

Work individually with young offenders to assess and find suitable programmes to help them and prevent future offending.